Toy vehicle



A. C. CARLSON T oY VEHICLE Filed Nov` 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 7, 1926** A, C. CARLSQN Toy VEHICLE 2 Smets-S11act 3 Filed Nov- Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

' ARTIE yC. CARLSON, OF VALPARAISO, ITIDTANAl` roy VEHICLE.

Application filed November 10, 1923. Serial No. 673,963.

The invention has reference to toy vehicles in general but is more especially concerned `witli lthat class of such vehicles commonly termed coasters. Vehicles of this class now in use embody'as commonly constructed' a body of the-box type'long used in the ccnstruction of toy wagons, with the front and rear Wheel suspension means secured to the box bottom. In the use of such avehicle as a coaster, the child must contend with relatively high side Walls, and because the box body prevents the steering handle `from eX- tending rearwardly except at a small angle to the verticahdityiculty is encountered in steering the vehicle.A Furthermore, the center of gravity of the body and its load is high so that it tips easily; and the construction is not usually very rugged.' y

'I he object or" my invention generally stated is to produce a toy vehicle which lends itselfpmore readily to usey as a coaster than vehicles of this class now on the 'market in that it avoids the difficulties lattending the use of the box type body. i

More specifically, an important object is to Y produce'a coaster Ywhich combines extreme simplicity in construction with great strength and rigidity. i j p 'Another object is to produce a coaster in which the body has the general appearance of a frame simulating the chassis of a motor vehicle, as distinguished from a body-of the c is capable of extending rearwardly over the vbody in a direction perpendicular tothe pivotalaxis of thegear. c

., Another object is to provide Vanelongated 'rectangular frame in which the parts are interlocked to insure a sturdy and'rigid construction, and in whichthe side members lend'themselves readily to the support of a trunk at the rear of the body.

vehicle is drawn as a cart or Wagon. Vboards 13 are set down 1n the frame -a short Figure 1 oi: the drawings is a perspective view 'of a toyvehicle constructed in accordance with the said preferred embodiment.

Fig. 2'is a rontview of the body illustrating the construction which permits the steering geaiI to bev swung through an arc of 90 degrees or more, the front wheel suspension means 'being shown in transverse sec- Y tion.

Figs. 3 and 4L are sectional views illustrating details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the vehicle.

VF ig. 6 is a'front elevational view.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation.

.Fig 8 is a fragmentary elevation section showing a further detail of construction.

The vehicle body comprises a pair of longitudinal side rails 10 and front and rear end pieces 11 and 12, arranged to form an elongated substantially rectangular frame.

yThe frame may be constructedfentirely of wood, the parts being made relatively heavy so as to. provide ample strength. f Y

Nithin the frame between the side rails and end pieces is secured in the present instance a pair of boards lfproviding a `rest for the knee of theV user or a seat'when-the Said distance below the upper edges of the side rails, and the latter are made relatively narrow and taperingtoward the rear end, with their upper edges slightly rounded, so as lto be capable of being gripped conveniently by a child seated upon the vehicle. Y

In securing the' parts of the body together I provideA in the presentembodiment an interlocled construction. Thus I form in the front and end pieceso'f the frame horizontal grooves 14 and 15 adapted toreceivethe frontk and rear ends of the boards 13, and near the front andrrear ends of the side rails I Vpr'ovideupright grooves to receive the ends ofthe end pieces. Tie rods 16 and 17 between the side rails at the front and rear ends of the traine serve to hold the parts interlocked. As shown in Figs. 2 and G, the trent end piece of the traine is shaped to provide outwardly extending lugs 18 providing shoulders upon their upper surfaces upon which the Jriorward ends of the side rails 10 rest. rlhe rails are secured to these lugs as by means of screws 19. The rear end piece is inclined rearwardly as shown in Fig. so as to torni a convenient back rest or push board depending upon whether the vehicle is employed as a art or wagon or as a coaster.

The tapering side rails ot' the body may conveniently be extended rearwardly beyond the rear end piece 12 as shown in Fig. 5 to provide a support for a combined seat and trunk 2O at 'the rear end ot the body. As shown, the trunk is entered between the rear ends of the side rails and rigidly tas-tened thereto as by means oit bolts 21. il pair ot brace bars may be secured upon opposite sides ot the trunk b v means ot the bolts 2i, the lower ends of the bars being extended near to the rear edge of the trunk and secured thereto by bolts 21a7 while, the upper ends ot said brace bars are extended upwardly for connection with the rear end piece 12 of the traine by screws 2lb. It will be observed that these members serve to brace the end piece 12 against rearward thrusts as well as to prevent the trunk from tilting on the bolts 21.

. A. top board 23 hinged at 24 (Fig. 7) to the *liront side of the trunk provides a cover toi* the trunk as well as a seat. As shown the hinge straps 25 extend across the top of the top piece 23 to reinforce it, and prolject `from the rear edge ot' the top piece to form iinger pieces. f

Substantially midway between the front and rear end pieces o'f the frame I provide an additional cross piece 25a which may be in the torni of a metal strap secured at its opposite ends to the side rails at the underside thereof as by means of screws 25h. This cross piece provides a support ttor the boards 13 thus rendering it possible to use lighter weight material therein; llfloreover, `the two boards may be held in spaced relation by means of screws 25; entered through the strap into the boards from their under sides.

The rear wheel suspensiozi means coniprises a pair of arms 26, secured directly to the under side olE the side rails 10 as by means of bolts 27. and curved rearwardly and downwardly to support the rear axle These arms are usually made from spring .steel and their lower ends are bent to 'torni sleeves having `an internal diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the rod forming the axle so that when the latter is `driven through the sleeves the latter ett'ectively grip the rod and hold it against sliding` or turning. It will be seen that the arms 25 being made of spring steel provide a resilient support for the rear end of the body.

The bolts 27 for securing the arm 26 upon one side of the body (preferably the left) may conveniently be employed to fasten to the side rail an angular bracket 29 upon which is pivotally mounted a brake lever 8O which is adaptedfrictionally to engage the adjacent rear supporting wheel.

The front wheel suspension means is secured directly to the front end ot the traine through the medium of the t'ront end piece 11. Referring to Fig. 6, the front axle 31 is mounted in a pair of depending ears 232 rigid with the opposite ends of a truss frame consisting o'll an upper arch member 33 and a lower tie member 34 rigidly secured at its ends to the upper memberpas by nie-ans of rivets 35. The ears 32 may be t'orined `integral with the upper member 33 so that they may be ishaped in the operation otl shaping the latter.

To this truss frame is rigidly secured the lower end of a U-shaped draw bar 36 (Fig. 5) ot the steeringgear. This is accomplished lpreferably by means of a gusset plate 37 (Figs. 2 and S) which is secured upon the under side ot the upper member 33 as by means ot rivets 38, the lower end of the draw bar 3G being riveted to this gusset plate as at 39. The upper member 33 and tie bar Stare, as shown in Fig. (hspaced a substantial distance lapart and these bars provide spaced bearings for the king pin flO. The latter passesA vertically through the 'front piece 11 ofthe trame preferably with a snug lit (Fig. The upper portion ot' the draw bar frame 3G `extends rearwardly over the top of the front piece 11 rand pivots upon the king pin, the latterI heilig secured in position by means ot cotter pins 41 and 42 at its upper andllower ends. y l y To provide a 'fth wheel upon which the steering gear may turn,v4 I employ a plate 113 bearing directly upon the lower edgeot the front piece. This plate is oi -substantial width and is rounded at its forward end as shown in 8. At the rear ot' the front piece the plate extends upwardli7 and rearwardly for connection with A the bottom boards 1,3, as shownfclearl'v in Fig, 5, being secured to both boards las by means ot a pair of bolts 44. It will be observed that the draw bar 3G bears directly upon the king pinvboth at `its upper vand at. its lower ends so that said trame is eap'ableo'f, serif'ing as a biunper` the rearward thrust beine' transmitted through the king pin and plate 43 to the body. It will be observed that the king pin by reason ot the construction eniployed serves to reinforce the front end piece. t y

The steeringhandle is pivoted upon the in. ...D

1,609,536 j Y f3 draw bar 36 near -theupper portion thereof, and the arrangement is such that it extends rearwardly directly vover-the body substantially perpendicularly with respect to the axis 'of the. king pin. In the present instance the handle comprises la pair of bent arms 45 secured upon opposite sides of a handle bar 0r tongue 46 which is of a length such as to extend a substantial distance over the body. The forward end of the tongue v46 may be made of substantial width and the arms 45 correspondingly space-d apart `near their free ends by means of a pin 52 which lis .so arranged as to engage with the top and .front portions of the drawbar and thus constitute a stop for limiting the swinge ing movements of the handle in both for ward and rearward directions.

It will be'apparent that since the bracket 47 is located upon the rear side of the frame, it-is better ablekto withstand strain when the vehicle is drawn as a cart or wagon.

VThe tongue 46 tapers toward a point as shown clearly in Fig. l, and is equipped with a ball at its free end which turns freely in the hand of the chil-d during'the steering operation, the ball being made fast to the tongue 46 in any suitable way.

The wheels employed may be. of any suitable character, but of a size such that they are capable of' turning beneath the body, as shown in Fig. 2, it being observed that this movement ofthe wheels beneath the body is permitted through an arc of more than 9() degrees by the construction of the draw bar vin the form of a fra-me which is adapted to pass the front corners of the body. v,Also this 'draw bar construction coacts with the bent arms 45 and the pin 52 to support JChe handle in suoli a way as to extend horizontally forward or rearwardly directly over the body. In the latter position the leverage upon the steering gear exerted by pressure upon the free end of the handle is substantially greater than is the case when the handle extends upwardly and rearwardly at an angle to the axis of the steering gear.

As shown in Fig. 5, the parts are so proportioned that the body has a slight upward inclination, which increases the adaptability of the vehicle to use as a coaster since it is desirable that the knee be slightly elevated. Also, by the use of a frame construction for the body, relatively flat and suspended low, `with the rear wheel suspension means se,- cured to the frame at the rear corners thereof, the vehicle has no tendency to roll over or tip.

I claim as niy invention:

1. In a toy vehicle, the combination of a substantially rectangular body including a pair of rigid side rails, a rear end piece secured between said side rails forwardly of the rear ends thereof, and a trunk carried by the rearwardly extending portions of the side rails, said trunk having a combined lid and seat member arranged rearwardly of the upper edge of said rear end piece.

2.- A toy vveliiclehaving a ybody in the `form of a substantially rectangular elongated frame and including a'pair of rigid side rails and a rear end piece entered between the side rails at points spaced slightlyforward of their rear ends, a trunk adapted to fit between the rearwardly projecting ends of the side rails and secured thereto, and

,braces at opposite sides of the trunk secured between their ends `to the side rails at the points of suspension of the trunk by the side rails and having their free ends secured respectively to the trunk at points rearward Yly of said points ofsuspension on the `side rails andto said rear end piece.

Y3. In a toy vehicle','tli`e combination of al body comprising a substantially rectangular frame including rigid side rails and a rear end piece, said side rails projecting rear` wardly beyond saidk end piece, a trunk, and means rigidly .securing said trunk between the rearwardly projecting portions of the side rails whereby the top of the trunkprovides an auxiliary seat.

4. A four wheeledtoy vehicle comprising a body including a substantially rectangular frame having grooved rigid side rails of varying vertical cross section, front and rear end pieces positioned between said side rails at their forward and rear ends respectively, one or more boards placed between andindependently of the side rails so as to form a knee rest or other support, said front and rear end pieces having grooves adaptedto receive the front and rear ends of said boards,` and means for securinng the end pieces .in the side rail groovesfandsaid sup- Y porting boards in position in the end piece grooves. Y

A four wheeled toy vehicle comprising aA body including a substantially rectangular Y frame having rigid side rails and front and P5 D rear end pieces entered between said side rails at their forward and rear ends respecj tively, one or more boards entered between the side rails so as to form a knee rest or other support, said front piece having pro- Y jections providing shoulders on which the forward ends of the side rails rest, and means for securing the end pieces between lao the side rails and thereby secure said supporting boards in position in the end pieces.

(3. A four-wheeled toy vehicle comprising a body including a substantially rectangular fraine having rigid side rails and front and rear en'd pieces entered Vbetween said side rails at their forward and rear ends respectively, one or more boards entered between the side rails so as to forni a knee rest or other support, said front and rear end 'pieces having grooves adapted to receive the front and rear ends of said boards, and means for securing the end pieces between the side rails and thereby secure said supporting boards in position in the end pieces, said side rails having upright. grooves at their forward ends adapted to receive the front en'd piece and also having diagonal grooves near their rear ends in which the rear end piece is positioned.

A four-wheeled toy vehicle having a body coinpiising a 'pair of side rails, a front end piece positioned vertically, rear en'd piece positioned at an angle, land one or more supporting;` boards entered between th'e side rails and the end pieces, tie rods connecting the front and rear ends of the opposite side rails, the end pieces having grooves 'adapted to receive the supporting boards, the arH rangement being such that said tie rods are adapted to secure the parts together in interlocked relation.

8. ,In coaster wagons, a body comprising a pair of rigid Aside rails tapering toward the rear end, a front end piece between the side mils, a rear end piece between the side rails positioned forward of the rear ends of )said rails, a trunk-like box sejcured to and placed between the rear ends-of the side rails', and side braces secured to the rear end piece, the side rails and the trunk.

t); In ,toy vehicles, a body comprising a substantially rectangular fraine including rigid side rails and a sloping rear end piece, said side rails projecting rearwardly beyond thc end piece', a trunk-like box, and means for rigidly supporting the box on the rearwardly projecting portions of the side rails.

10. A toy vehicle body con'iprising a p'air of side rails having grooves' on their inner faces, a groovcd front end piece having projections on which the side rails rest', a grooved rear end piece, both end pieces being positioned between the side rails in the grooves of such rails, which rails extend beyond the rear en d piece', one or inore supporting boards positioned between the side rails and placed in the Vgrooves of the end pieces, and tie rods connecting the rails near their front and rear ends so as to rigidly hold the parts in assembled relation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afixed iny signature.

ARTIE C. CARLSON. 

